Carry Help

I can play any god class out there (assassin, mage, tank, bruiser, support) except carry. I would like to become skilled with Xbalanque or Apollo. I either cannot get close enough to do much damage, or die trying. I'm level 30, so it's not like I'm a noob. I generally go positive with every other class except carry. Any tips or tricks about general strategy with carries would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Carry (save Apollo) is all about skills until about 3 items, then it's all about landing skill shots. Learn how to trade well with skills (Artemis's rain of arrows, Apollo's So Beautiful, Anhur's Impale, Xbalanque's Poison Dart+Rising Jaguar combo, Neith's Spirit Arrow, and Cupid's Heart Bomb), then late game hit many auto attacks.

My suggestion is pick Xbalanque or such and join the practice 3v3 arenas. Granted, the bots are basically mentally deficient, but it will still teach you how to land your shots. Mages have the benefit of usually big skillshots - carries have small projectiles. So go in, and simply practice learning how to land many autoattacks consistently. Late game, 90% of your damage is auto attack based, so learn how to do it.

If you still have trouble, work a Frostbound Hammer into your build as roughly the 3rd or 4th item to land auto attacks easier.

Here's my list of what to learn from each carry :

Anhur : learning how to place your shifting sand to maximize damage and when to impale and trying to hit walls. Other than that, you need to make most basic attacks hit.

Apollo : apollo is all about basic attacks. Learn when to initiate and use serenade as well positioning yourself. Don't miss when audacity is up and learn split pushing with ult late game

Artemis : learn enemy's movement to put your trap as well as rain arrow as it slows them. Try to use your boar at the right time and learn auto attacks

Cupid : I don't really play cupid but try to hit your heart bomb while passive is up and when to use rain heart bomb to position your team

Neith : hitting with spirit arrow will devastate enemy's as your basic attack is easier to hit. Learn when to ult as not to ks allies

Xbal : learning combo of 2 and 3 will reduce many enemy's health. Learn to when to use ulti to devastate enemy. Positioning with him is important

When it comes to getting kills it is all about knowing when and how to punish the mistakes your enemy does and to follow up on your support/tank when he initiates.
And please god hit your basic attacks, the worst feeling for a support is setting up a perfect kill (which he could have easily KSed) only to have them getting away because the carry misses like 90% of his basic attacks. The carry has one job, and that is to get kills/objectives.

Arena is a superb mode to practice basic attacks and skillshots! ;)

And when it comes to not dying it is all about positioning. Most carries (except Apollo and maybe Anhur) have small chances for escape if you get caught out of position, so map awareness is important.

Kind of have to play conquest to get good at that (Arena helps you getting to know the different gods you are up against though).